Environment

A 500 ton Mongolian-registered cargo ship that ran aground on the coast of Changhua County October 13 suddenly erupted into flames at around 4:00am this morning. At around 4:00am, Changhua County Fire Bureau received a report from Coast Guard officers that the cabin of the Lianhe 36 was on fire. Five firefighting teams were dispatched to deal with the blaze, along with 17 firefighting appliances and an ambulance. Firefighters used ladders to board the stranded vessel and took around one

A 500 ton Mongolian-registered cargo ship ran aground on the coast of Changhua County yesterday, October 13, during stormy weather and high seas generated by a typhoon in the South China Sea. The vessel named Lianhe 36 is stranded on the shore of an industrial zone in Hsienhsi Township. The crew of six were evacuated from the vessel, and an emergency crew boarded to pump out the diesel fuel October 14 to prevent an oil spill if the vessel breaks

A whale carcass was recovered by researchers after being found washed up against wave breakers in Hsinchu County this morning, Sunday, October 1. Professor Wang Jianping(王建平) from Cheng Kung University Cetacean Research Center identified the animal as a species of baleen whale. The remains were taken back to the research center for further identification and study. The 10 meter long whale carcass was found in the vicinity of Gangnan Coastal Scenic Area. A fishing boat was used to tow the

[Cover picture: United Daily News] Anglers fishing off a breakwater at the entrance of Keelung Harbor were suddenly faced with a life-threatening situation when a series of large waves surged over the concrete platform this morning. Keelung Harbor Bureau said that sea conditions before the waves began to surge where normal. At around 8:00am waves began to surge over the breakwater. A truck that had just pulled up near the edge of the breakwater was knocked over by the waves.

A 51,208 ton bulk carrier carrying coal bound for a power station in Kaohsiung ran aground yesterday as it approached a docking facility. Attempts to move the vessel at the next high tide failed this morning. The Maritime and Port Bureau said that yesterday at 5:20pm, August 14, they received a report that a vessel had run aground while approached the coal unloading facility at the Xingda Power Station. A strong current is said to have hampered the pilot’s ability

Pollution that resulted in a Miaoli County stream turning a milky-white color was traced to a Petrochemical plant in an industrial area today. The EPA have opened legal proceedings against the company responsible. Miaoli County Government Environmental Protection Bureau officers traced the source of the pollution after complaints by local residents who said that the stream changed color on a daily basis. Sometimes the water turns red, sometimes blue, and the last few days, milky white. EPB officers inspected plants

[Cover Picture: Instant Weather Facebook Group.] A fire at a plastics factory in Pingtung County has caused a major pollution incident with a black cloud drifting all the way to Kaohsiung City and Tainan City, and is said to be visible from space. The fire broke out at around 7:00am this morning, July 5, in a factory in Guangan village, Wandan Township, Pingtung County. Pingtung County Fire Bureau dispatched 20 fire appliances and 55 firefighters to battle the blaze. A

East Coast National Scenic Area Administration officers found a dead dolphin on Sanxiantai Reef. The carcass, which had not yet decomposed was missing a tail, and the tail appears to have been cut off with a sharp knife. It is suspected that fishermen cut off the tail after the dolphin became entangled in a fishing net. The carcass has been sent to Taiwan Cetacean Society for further research and confirmation about the cause of death. Source: Taiwan People News. Two

One of the world’s most mysterious species, the Omura’s Whale (Balaenoptera omurai) was recorded on video by whale watchers off the coast of Hualian on May 20. The video was uploaded to Facebook, allowing a Japanese whale expert to identify the species. It is the first confirmed record of the species in Taiwan waters. Kuroshio Ocean Education foundation spokesperson He Zile (何姿樂) said that adult Omura’s Whales grow up to 10 meters long, so the individual recorded is a juvenile.

A fisherman contacted authorities after catching a rare mega mouth shark in waters off the coast of Hualien County on Taiwan’s east coast this morning, May 16. The captain of the fishing boat, Mr Wu, notified the coast guard, as required by law, after bringing up the 5 meter-long, 700kg shark. The shark has already been sold to a seafood restaurant in Ilan County’s Suao township. Apple Daily reported that the restaurant paid NT$80 per kilogram for the shark. Kuroshio

[Picture: Lienchiang County Government] Pictures that went viral on the Internet showing the beauty of “blue tears” in the ocean around the Matsu Islands are actually a sign of an environmental crisis, according to sources cited in a report on Liberty Times Network. Between April and September, bioluminescent plankton emit a blue light, resulting in a phenomenon locals on the Matsu Islands call “blue tears.” The plankton, known to science as dinoflagellates, feed on nutrients in the water. While the